Concern about going out and increasing household waste Mask outside the bag Voice of concern New Corona May 4 13:19

Due to the refraining from going out due to the spread of new coronavirus infection, the amount of garbage from offices and restaurants has decreased by more than 30% in Tokyo's 23 wards, while the amount of household waste has increased by 10%. In some cases, used masks and the like have come out of the bag, and the workers who collect them are worried about the infection.

According to the Tokyo 23rd Ward Cleaning Partial Office Association, the amount of combustible waste from households in Tokyo's 23 wards from the 6th to the 12th of last month was 35,200 tons, which is 10% of the same period last year. Increased has. On the other hand, the amount of combustible waste from businesses such as offices and restaurants was 12,100 tons, a 34% decrease from the previous year, and it seems that the effect of suspension of business and shortening of business hours was shown.

With the spread of new virus infection, used masks and tissue paper are conspicuous, and some of the bags have gone out without being tied up properly, and workers are worried about the infection. .

If the infection spreads to workers, it may affect the collection of garbage, and the Ministry of the Environment and local governments are calling for proper disposal.

Toru Igarashi, director of the Katsushika Ward Cleaning Office, said, “I want the bags to be doubled so that they don't have to be filled with trash and have plenty of room for them, and then tie the mouth tightly before putting out.”

Worker "If we get infected, it will be difficult to collect."

With the increase in household waste, we are worried about how to protect workers from the risk of infection at the collection site.

In Tokyo and Katsushika Ward, the amount of garbage discharged from homes increased by 10% from the same time last year between the 1st and the 25th of last month, and lunch boxes and paper boxes for delivery pizzas were conspicuous. It means that clothing and furniture are increasing.

Compared to before the declaration of emergency, the time required for collection work has increased, and the burden has been the disposal of used masks and tissue paper. Among them, the mouth of the bag is not tightly bound, masks and tissues are scattered outside the bag at the time of collection, or the bag filled with garbage bursts when it is put in the collection car and the contents are blown away. Then, a worker man gloved and picked up the tissue that had fallen to the ground.

In addition to wearing a mask and carrying an antiseptic spray, I try to prevent infection, but a man of the worker said, "I am very careful about the infection, but it is scary because it can not be avoided. It will hinder the collection and transportation of garbage, so please dispose of it properly. "

Katsushika Ward encourages inhabitants to properly dispose of used masks to prevent workers from getting infected. At the same time, household waste is expected to increase during large holidays, and we are increasing the number of staff members. . Toru Igarashi, director of the Katsushika Ward Cleanup Office, said, “I'm very worried about the safety of the staff who collect the data. I don't know where people who receive medical treatment at home live, and there are no symptoms. I want you to know that proper waste treatment reduces the risk of infection. "

Some offices were closed due to staff infection

Garbage collection continues despite the declaration of an emergency, but in Kobe City, as of May 1, a total of 17 Suma Works staff members were infected with the new coronavirus. Is being closed and support staff is being dispatched from another business site.

The local governments have begun to take measures to prepare for the situation of mass infection, and in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, we are recruiting staff from departments other than those in charge to collect garbage.

In addition, Adachi City will ask a private company outsourced some work to increase the number of employees, but if it is still not in time, it will ask other departments to support.

"Tie the bag tightly"

How can we dispose of used masks and tissue paper to prevent new coronavirus infection?

The Ministry of the Environment calls on its website with illustrations such as "Do not touch the garbage directly," "tie the bag tightly and seal it," and "wash your hands after discarding the garbage."

Specifically, we want the trash can to be covered with a bag and tied securely so that the mask and tissue paper do not get out. He also wants to tie the bag before it is full so that it won't burst during collection, and if the bag is torn or the mask touches the outside, he wants the garbage bags to be doubled. I will.

Also, after throwing away the garbage, we call on you to wash your hands thoroughly with running water using soap.

Some local governments in Tokyo are calling for more specific attention, and if Katsushika Ward is infected or suspected and is receiving medical treatment at home, it does not immediately throw away the trash and the virus In addition to keeping it at home for about a week until it loses its infectious power, we would like you to throw away the stored PET bottles and plastic containers as "burnable garbage" instead of "recyclable garbage".

In addition, Setagaya Ward urges the homepage of the Ward not to tie the garbage bags after deflating the air firmly, and to dispose of the garbage bags in large quantities at one time.

“Increased household waste” on Twitter “I'm troubled if an infected person appears at the disposal site”

As self-restraint goes out for a long time, there are many posts on the Internet requesting that household garbage has increased and calls for appropriate treatment such as used masks.

On Twitter, "I've eaten a lot less, I mostly eat at home, and the amount of garbage in my home has increased," or "The morning garbage station is as crowded as it was at the end of the year! Comments have been sent.

Also, "I went to the garbage dumping place, and I left my mask left unattended, so I doubted my eyes." Or "I want you to put out the garbage on the morning of the collection day. The crow is poking a plastic bag and using it. There are many posts about the rules for throwing away trash, such as "already masks and tissues are scattered and fly away."

In addition, "I want to make sure that even such a small thoughtful thing that separates the tissue bag and the mask that separates the garbage bag is helpful" and "I want to make sure that the PET bottles are properly washed before putting them out. There are many posts that call on workers to take countermeasures against infection, such as "I'm troubled if an infected person appears at the disposal site.